I know some people act like anybody who opposes GMO's or supports organic food is some tinfoil-hat wearing weirdo, or that there is no proof that GMOs can be harmful, or that it's all a big dihydrogen monoxide-type scare. . .

Let me share with you my little CSB about why I don't trust GMO's anymore and why my household has gone organic in its food.

My wife used to have one food allergy, just one. She was allergic to nuts, most severely to almonds, but mildly allergic to most kinds of nuts (except peanuts, for some reason, probably because they are technically legumes and not nuts).

Well, two years ago, my wife suddenly went into anaphylactic shock. We rushed her to the hospital, and the ER docs confirmed she had a major allergic reaction. We had no idea to what.

A followup appointment at an allergist showed that she was now severely allergic to corn and soy, and also allergic to a lesser extent to oats, as well as her previously documented nut allergies.

Well, in case you didn't know, eating around a severe corn allergy SUCKS. That means that anything with HFCS is right out (it's not indistinguishable from sugar, her body can sure as heck tell the difference), and between that and corn syrup, corn starch, "modified food starch" (made from corn starch), corn meal, and such that means pretty much all processed food is right out. Also, corn-fed livestock retain enough corn proteins in the flesh to set off her allergies (to a lesser extent), so we have to buy grass fed beef (and basically skip all pork and chicken, since it's next to impossible to find non-corn-fed pork and chicken).

Since HFCS isn't allowed in organic foods, to avoid that in products we started to have to buy organic foods. Then we accidentally bought some organic foods which contained her allergens in them. Oddly enough, she can eat organic oats with no problems, and has a much, much lesser reaction to organic soy and a weaker reaction to organic corn.

There's some difference there, that her body can tell. She eats a kernel of regular corn, she'll have to dive for the epi-pen in a couple of minutes. She puts regular soy sauce on sushi, her tongue breaks out and swells up on contact. If we use organic soy sauce (without GMOs), she can have it with pretty much no problem. She can still eat organic oats without an issue.

Apparently Monsanto introduced genes from Brazil nuts into their GMO soybeans, and it's been confirmed that people with nut allergies will be allergic to GMO soy, which in case you didn't know is about 80% of the soybeans harvested in the US. It hasn't been revealed yet, but we strongly suspect from what I've seen that the GMO corn Monsanto produces has some nut-related gene in it, or something that triggers on a nut allergy.

As for the oats, there is no approved GMO oats out there, but as the wheat incident has shown, it's possible that an old project could have slipped into the seed stock, creating a trace contamination, or there could be cross-contamination from some other GMO crop being processed at the same plant.

In any case, it's unlikely the GM factor is to blame for her allergies, as the processed foods (like HFCS and soy sauce) are purified of any GM substances, and without allergenic substances, no allergic reactions.

Also, you say she is also allergic to oats... There are no GM oats-- not even an early generation field trial-- so something else in the oats (and likely the corn and soy) is causing her distress.

We don't know about canola. We never used it in cooking around here, I don't think it was one of the tests the allergist conducted.

I honestly don't know the biochemistry or genetics behind it, but I do know that when we eat organic, GMO-free foods even if it's an allergen for her, the reaction is reduced, to the point where she has almost no reaction to oats and can safely eat small amounts of organic soy products (so we can put a dash of organic soy sauce on sushi, or use it in a stir fry). Corn is still a major allergen, the organic stuff just causes less of a reaction though. However, since some common corn products like are not allowed in organic foods, organics are a quick way to find HFCS-free products.

I'm frankly amazed that she's sensitive enough to corn that even things that are highly processed still have enough of whatever protein it is that her body can detect it. Bourbon whiskey, made from corn, she has a mild reaction to (she'll still sip it, she is a Kentuckian after all, but it's a rare thing for her. HFCS/Corn Syrup, like poison to her, she eats something made with HFCS and she'll be breaking out in minutes.

Don't know why, but there is something different, that is omitted presumably, in those organic crops that is exacerbating her food allergies. No clue why or what, but I know organics exclude GMOs, and the two things she's most allergic to are modified (soy and corn) and those modifications are very widespread in crops. What I've seen is reason enough for us to buy the vast bulk of our foods as organic (and many of the ones we don't are minimally processed and usually locally grown, when you buy your meat from the man who raised the cows himself it's a lot easier to ensure the quality of your food).

Yeah, it's more expensive, but she hasn't had to go back to the ER since then.

Monsanto has bred Terminator seeds and released them in the wild and have affected millions of farmers and ruined their crops. Dont like that? Monsanto will sue you out of existence. THey have filled the entire government with their paid shills, the head of the FDA is also the head of Monsanto and they have shut down any free speach against them time and time again through their legal thugs. GMOs are untested and unregulated and Monsanto has paid off the government to ensure that remains. In europe and Zambia they are banned because its been proven to be near poison for the environment and people and is the sole cause of the near extinction of the bees. Monsanto should be shut down for crimes against humanity and all of the workers and scientists should be jailed and farmers who use their frankenseeds should be banned from farming entirely. The entire planet is near death and no matter where you look monsanto has a hand in killing it.

Kinek:Langdon_777: Kinek: So now that funding and degrees are on the table, what are /Your/ qualifications?

/I didn't pull out the credentials argument, you did. Well, one of you did.

Yeah it was me, but my background is Economics and I KNOW from first hand experience what motivates corporations.

And I say again I just do not trust them - they are motivated by one thing and one thing only -> SHAREHOLDER'S PROFIT!

They do not give a fark about anything else - let us think for a moment about the use of Aspesdos (lol I spelt it wrong but the only option on spell check was 'Desperado')...

'Asbestos' was defended for decades and it is a natural substance, the dangers from gene manipulation could be with us for forever!!!

We should never let profit get anywhere near to things that can destroy all of us.

(yes I cannot believe we let private corporations run nuclear plants or deadly virus research - one can never know when the balance sheets will suggest that it is better for the bottom line to release a virus than to stop it.)

So in other words, you know nothing of GM technology. Good to know. Keep yelling. I especially like the multiple exclamation marks. In the words of Terry Pratchett; "five exclamation marks are the sure sign of a diseased mind"

Some of you gene guys remind me of the Fark Nuclear Technician we had on while Fukushima was having its little difficulties.

He was very knowledgable and articulate...right up until day three, when he said "a tsunami following an earthquake was unforseeable." After he called out on THAT, he hasn't been back since, afaik :)

You guys may be brilliant in your field, but seem to lack all understanding of basic human nature.Accidents happen, people lie, minimum wage employees screw up, corporations act in their own best interest, Dilemma of the Commons, etc, etc, etc.All REALLY basic concepts.Further, you guys keep saying "that's impossible" about THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.

And then you wonder why we're not 100% on board with your all products all the time...

Demonstrate you can strip drifted genes OUT of the ecosystem, the way oil companies have to be able to clean up THEIR messes, and you'll have my full support.

Dr_Gene:PunGent:In any case, it's unlikely the GM factor is to blame for her allergies, as the processed foods (like HFCS and soy sauce) are purified of any GM substances, and without allergenic substances, no allergic reactions.

Also, you say she is also allergic to oats... There are no GM oats-- not even an early generation field trial-- so something else in the oats (and likely the corn and soy) is causing her distress

You shout that my first statement is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY without giving any data, evidence or other rationale. You are the one who needs to provide a citation showing that novel allergens from GM crops have been shown present in processed foods. Since I cannot prove a negative, the onus for proof shift to you.And,If you bothered to go to the original literature instead of relying on a blog summary, you'd know that the GM oat you cite-- now almost ten years later-- was never commercialized, and not even grown outside in "an early generation field trial"-- exactly as I said.

YOU said, quote, "there are no GM oats".Your words, provably false. Feel free to re-phrase if you find that offensive.

Afa allergens, the problem is there hasn't been ANY testing afaik...we'll all just have to wait and see.

Neither one of us has to prove anything...this crap is already out there.We'll all find out in due time what effects, if any, it has.

And, thanks to Monsanto's lobbying, we can't even sue for damages.

I'm sure GM foods will have some notable benefits for humanity...just like nuclear power.But unfortunately for all you apologists out there, I'm old enough to remember being told that nuclear power would be too cheap to meter, and too safe to worry about.

If you still think that's the case, I've got some land for sale, cheap, near Fukushima.

So, I'm sceptical of ALL industry claims, and not just in the GM field.

Sorry, just the way it is.

And, to head off the inevitable shallow-brained 'luddite' accusations, I'll point out, again, that I own stock in agribiz.And in the extraction and energy sectors.

I just don't see the need to sugar-coat everything the way industry mouthpieces do.

Dr_Gene:I'm willing to be corrected... all you need do is give the citation to ANY US/Canadian court case where Monsanto (or any other company) successfully sued a farmer for inadvertent presence of GMOs.

Well, it depends how you frame the question (and you've done it in such a way that you can basically shrug them off by saying the farmers knew what was going on), but the two cases I can think of off the top of my head are Monsanto (Canada) v Schmeiser and Bowman v Monsanto. Both cases were argued before the Supreme Court of their respective country, and both cases basically established that the mere presence of glyphosate-resistant crops in a field is patent infringement. The second case is particularly interesting because it essentially means that the farmer has become responsible for ensuring that any seed obtained from a source other than a biotechnology company contains no patented genetic material. So basically, it's no longer possible to just buy some soybeans and plant them in a field, unless you're okay paying the license fees Monsanto demands if it turns out those seeds you bought came from a roundup ready variety.

Now, to the farmer, RR products are a huge benefit. But they're pricey. So naturally people will look for ways to get ahold of the product without paying the premium. I don't blame Monsanto for seeking to protect their rights, but the fallout of these court cases is pretty far reaching in the agriculture industry. You basically have to buy seed from a seed company these days; it's too risky to follow the traditional method of obtaining seed - just keeping some of what you grew last year.

Silverstaff:I know some people act like anybody who opposes GMO's or supports organic food is some tinfoil-hat wearing weirdo, or that there is no proof that GMOs can be harmful, or that it's all a big dihydrogen monoxide-type scare. . .

Let me share with you my little CSB about why I don't trust GMO's anymore and why my household has gone organic in its food.

My wife used to have one food allergy, just one. She was allergic to nuts, most severely to almonds, but mildly allergic to most kinds of nuts (except peanuts, for some reason, probably because they are technically legumes and not nuts).

Well, two years ago, my wife suddenly went into anaphylactic shock. We rushed her to the hospital, and the ER docs confirmed she had a major allergic reaction. We had no idea to what.

A followup appointment at an allergist showed that she was now severely allergic to corn and soy, and also allergic to a lesser extent to oats, as well as her previously documented nut allergies.

Well, in case you didn't know, eating around a severe corn allergy SUCKS. That means that anything with HFCS is right out (it's not indistinguishable from sugar, her body can sure as heck tell the difference), and between that and corn syrup, corn starch, "modified food starch" (made from corn starch), corn meal, and such that means pretty much all processed food is right out. Also, corn-fed livestock retain enough corn proteins in the flesh to set off her allergies (to a lesser extent), so we have to buy grass fed beef (and basically skip all pork and chicken, since it's next to impossible to find non-corn-fed pork and chicken).

Since HFCS isn't allowed in organic foods, to avoid that in products we started to have to buy organic foods. Then we accidentally bought some organic foods which contained her allergens in them. Oddly enough, she can eat organic oats with no problems, and has a much, much lesser reaction to organic soy and a weaker reaction to organic corn.

There's some difference there, that ...

Sounds less GMO, and more grain-related (Not just the gluten) and you're onto something with your grass-fed options. If you are what you eat, then you are what you eat, eats.

And most soy is generally best avoided. Don't eat it. Especially if you're a dude.

We made a similar switch two years ago (no grains, very limited dairy, organic wherever possible... aka "Paleo") and all of my food allergies and other health issues went away.

jopy666:Monsanto has bred Terminator seeds and released them in the wild and have affected millions of farmers and ruined their crops. Dont like that? Monsanto will sue you out of existence. THey have filled the entire government with their paid shills, the head of the FDA is also the head of Monsanto and they have shut down any free speach against them time and time again through their legal thugs. GMOs are untested and unregulated and Monsanto has paid off the government to ensure that remains. In europe and Zambia they are banned because its been proven to be near poison for the environment and people and is the sole cause of the near extinction of the bees. Monsanto should be shut down for crimes against humanity and all of the workers and scientists should be jailed and farmers who use their frankenseeds should be banned from farming entirely. The entire planet is near death and no matter where you look monsanto has a hand in killing it.

Dear god. It's like Natural News, Mother Jones, and the Angry masturbating homeless bus stop man had a baby, and that baby had tourette's.

jopy666:Monsanto has bred Terminator seeds and released them in the wild and have affected millions of farmers and ruined their crops. Dont like that? Monsanto will sue you out of existence. THey have filled the entire government with their paid shills, the head of the FDA is also the head of Monsanto and they have shut down any free speach against them time and time again through their legal thugs. GMOs are untested and unregulated and Monsanto has paid off the government to ensure that remains. In europe and Zambia they are banned because its been proven to be near poison for the environment and people and is the sole cause of the near extinction of the bees. Monsanto should be shut down for crimes against humanity and all of the workers and scientists should be jailed and farmers who use their frankenseeds should be banned from farming entirely. The entire planet is near death and no matter where you look monsanto has a hand in killing it.

Wow, how scary!

But...wait a minute... didn't the Organic Industry lawsuit against Monsanto recently get summarily thrown out of court because the plaintiffs could not provide a singlecase of a farmer sued by Monsanto for incidental or trace presence of Monsanto's seeds?

Or did I misread it? I'm willing to be corrected... all you need do is give the citation to ANY US/Canadian court case where Monsanto (or any other company) successfully sued a farmer for inadvertent presence of GMOs.

Or, did Monsanto buy off all those judges, too?

/no, I don't work for Monsanto (or any other company). Who do you work for?

Silverstaff:We were at a loss for figuring out why this was so, until we found this study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8594427

I'm aware of the brazil nut trials. However, you should also know that due to this study, that caught this allergy in the testing stages, i.e. the non-commercial trial stages, they were ultimately shelved. Rather than saying that Monsanto et al. are bad, this actually suggests that the testing process is robust and does catch things.

In short, no commercially available soy product today contains the brazil nut gene you're talking about because they caught it in the testing stage. So your wife can't be allergic to it, because it doesn't exist in the soy she's eating.

iaazathot:Woops, that naughty GMO wheat got away. Oh, look you have our GMO wheat in your field, we will be seizing your property after we sue the crap out of you for unauthorized use of our patented wheat. Sure this was an "accident." Oh, and yes, it was sabotage, poor, poor Monsanto always being victimized.

That has never. NEVER. EVER. HAPPENED.

Jesus farking christ. That miscounting has run around the world more times than I care to count. Every time Monsanto has sued someone, 'Accidental' levels of contamination have run 90% or higher. You don't get accidental contamination like that unless you are ACTIVELY selecting.

Woops, that naughty GMO wheat got away. Oh, look you have our GMO wheat in your field, we will be seizing your property after we sue the crap out of you for unauthorized use of our patented wheat. Sure this was an "accident." Oh, and yes, it was sabotage, poor, poor Monsanto always being victimized.